A Duel for Life in Toyama
by Ayame.Marian.Mouri
Summary: This is a crossover between Ronin Warriors & YuGiOh!: Yugi and the others are on their way to Toyama to visit Ryou's cousin. When they arrive, Marik captures Ryo and Rowen and challenges Yugi to a duel at Talpa's castle. Chapter 10 now up.
1. Chapter 1

*Domino Town*  
  
Hey Yugi, Ryou said coming in the room. Doing anything this weekend?  
  
Not that I know of. Why? Yugi said.  
  
Cye invited me to Toyama for the weekend and he said I can invite some friends. Joey, Serenity, Tristan and Buka are all going.  
  
Sure, I'll go, Yugi said, standing. When are we leaving?  
  
The cab that Cye paid for the trip will be picking us all up this evening, he said. Pack some things and we'll join the others at your grandfather's shop.  
  
Yugi threw some stuff in a bag and they soon joined the others and was soon on their way.  
  
*Toyama*  
  
Well, I'm heading to meet Ryou and his friends, Cye told Mia.  
  
He was quickly joined by White Blaze and headed to meet his cousin. He saw Ryo and Rowen disappearing into the woods.  
  
*Talpa's Castle*  
  
Who are you and what business do you have coming into my castle? Talpa asked the visitor who'd just came into the throne room.  
  
I've come to aid you in the destruction of Earth, Marik said. A boy named Yugi and his friends are on their way to visit your enemies. I know how much you would like to be rid of them and I would like to be rid of Yugi and his friends.  
  
As Talpa considered this, Dais came running in.  
  
Master, Strata and Wildfire are in the woods alone, he said.  
  
Good, Talpa said and then turned to Marik Help my Warlords capture those two and I'll accept your offer.  
  
Marik smiled and left with Dais. Meanwhile, Yugi and the others were heading for the house when White Blaze jumped in front of them from the hill, startling all but Ryou.  
  
It's okay guys, Ryou said stepping up to pet the tiger. It's just White Blaze.  
  
Cye appeared just then and they headed to the house. The boys were going to stay in the spare room and the girls' in Mia's room. In the woods, Ryo and Rowen were walking when Marik and the Warlords appeared in front of them. Ryo faced off against Szymeth and Marik while Rowen took on Dais and Cale. Ryo joined his swords and jumped into the air.  
  
FLARE UP NOW!  
  
But before he could aim it towards them, the attack reflected back on him, sending him back into a tree, hard. At the house, the others heard the loud crash and ran towards the woods.  
  
RYO! Rowen yelled.  
  
He started over to where he was laying, but was sent flying into a tree as well.  
  
Take them back to the castle, Marik told the Warlords.  
  
The Warlords disappeared w/ the two just as the Ronin's and the others came into the clearing.  
  
Marik! Yugi yelled. I should have known.  
  
If you want your friends back go to the castle, Marik told them. I challenge you to a duel and it will take place once you get there.  
  
Then he left.   
  
Who was that? Sage asked.  
  
That's Marik, Yugi explained. He's trying to get ahold of my millennium puzzle.  
  
As they headed back to the house to plan, the Warlords appeared in Talpa's throne room. Both Ryo and Rowen were unconscious. Marik joined them soon after.  
  
Good job, Talpa said walking in and over to them.  
  
Soon Ryo was chained to the wall while Rowen was taken to the tower the nether spirits resided in and chained. The Warlords and Marik left to rest, leaving Talpa with Ryo.  
  
Ryo opened his eyes to find Talpa in front of him.  
  
Where's Rowen, Talpa? Ryo demanded as he looked around for his friend.  
  
Don't worry, Wildfire, Talpa said uncurling a whip he held in his hand. You'll be joining him soon. But first, I want to test your strength.  
  
With a snap of his fingers, Ryo was facing the wall and his shirt ripped, exposing his back. He tried his best not to scream, but the pain was unbearable. With each strike, he could feel blood running down his back. Then he passed out from the pain.  
  
In the tower, Rowen came around. When he tried to move he found himself chained between two pillars and nether spirits were flying around it. The noise they were making was unbearable and he wished he could cover his ears. Hearing footsteps he closed his eyes. Out of the corners of his eyes, he saw Dais and Cale appear with Ryo between them. He saw that Ryo was unconscious and when they went to chain him, he saw the cuts on his back. Then they left and Rowen opened his eyes again.  
  
Ryo? He called trying to call over the noise of the nether spirits. Wake up buddy?  
  
But Ryo never stirred. At the house, Yugi was sitting in the room the guys were sharing. They were soon leaving for the castle.  
  
Do you think it's a good idea to challenge Marik? Yami asked as he stood in front of Yugi, who was sitting on the edge of the bed.  
  
I really don't have a choice, Yugi said. The lives of both Ryo and Rowen are in my hands.  
  
Don't you think we should switch?  
  
Might be a good idea.  
  
So they switched and just as Ryou walked into the room.  
  
We're ready, he said and they headed downstairs to join the others.  
  
They said bye to Mia and Uly and headed out of the house towards Toyama. At the castle, Ryo's eyes slowly opened and he saw Rowen across from him, chained between two pillars, as he found himself the same.  
  
You okay Ryo? Rowen asked.  
  
Feels like my back's on fire," Ryo answered. Other than that, I'm fine.  
  
You've got some nasty looking gashes on your back, Rowen stated.  
  
Talpa tried to beat the tar out of me with a whip, Ryo answered.  
  
Where the other Ronin Warriors was, they were just coming out of the woods when they heard footsteps behind them. When they turned they saw Sakura and the Mystic Warriors coming towards them.  
  
–to be continued– 


	2. Chapter 2

Marik had been speaking with the Warlords, plotting for his eventual duel against Yugi, but he was more interested in facing Yami instead of his shorter counterpart. Then just as he was about to speak, he saw a better target. What better way to get Yami than to challenge his best friend? He smirked and walked up to Joey, who was trying to help Yugi and Ryou find Rowen and Ryo.  
  
"Marik . . . I should have known. What did you do with our friends?" Joey asked, crossing his arms.  
  
"Oh come now, that is not important Joey. But if you really want to know, you have to duel me first. If you win, then I will tell you their location. And if you lose, then I'm afraid you'll have to join them." He smirked, mocking Joey by crossing his arms as well.  
  
"That's fine with me. I'll teach you to hurt our friends. I promised Yugi that I'd take you out, and I never go back on a promise. So let's duel!"  
  
Marik shook his head, the smirk never leaving his face. This was going to be too easy, all he had to do was summon Ra and it was over in an instant.  
  
"I'll make the first move." Marik said, then drew a card. "First off, I'll play a card face down and I'll put Revival Jam in defense mode."  
  
"I can easily take out your Revival Jam, Marik." Joey said, and then he drew his first card. "I summon Alligator's Sword in attack mode, and take out your Revival Jam."  
  
All Marik could do was laugh as the monster attacked, only to have Revival Jam regenerate. He shook his head, knowing that this boy wasn't a challenge at all. He was just getting warmed up for his duel against the Pharaoh himself.  
  
"I must have forgotten to tell you about his special ability, too bad. First I play Humanoid Slime in defense mode and then I play Jam Breeding Machine, which produces a slime token every turn. And I also activate Jam Defender, which blocks all attacks toward my Revival Jam and directs them to another monster." Marik couldn't help but feel sorry for his opponent. He was more clueless than he thought.  
  
"OK, so it directs your attacks big deal. I can easily win this."  
  
"Not once I unleash my God Card." Marik cackled.  
  
Joey stood back in shock, he didn't know anything that could even take out Ra. He closed his eyes for a moment, then drew his next card. It was a start at least, so a small grin crept across his face as he held up his best monster.  
  
"You asked for it, Marik. I sacrifice my Alligator's Sword to summon Jinzo. Any trap cards you have out are automatically destroyed."  
  
Marik just smirked as another Slime Token appeared. Now he had enough monsters to sacrifice to get Ra. Plus he can use One Turn Kill, which uses up all but one of his life points.  
  
"Oh I believe it is you who asked for it. Behold the power of an Egyptian God! I sacrifice my Revival Jam, Humanoid Slime and one of my Slime Tokens to bring forth the Winged Dragon of Ra!"  
  
Joey looked up and saw the golden dragon appear behind Marik. It was powerful, with an attack and defense power of 2800. This alone could wipe out his Jinzo, but only take away 400 life points. He wasn't prepared for what was about to happen next.  
  
"And as an added bonus, I activate One Turn Kill. It takes away all but one of my life points. So, I'm afraid you'll have to find out the hard way where your little friends are." Marik grinned; Ra now had an attack of 6799. "Now Ra, attack his Jinzo!"  
  
"No . . ." Was all Joey could say. He fell to his knees, watching his life points drop to 0 almost instantly. One attack by an all powerful God card was not how he wanted to end this day.  
  
"I am so sorry, but I'm afraid your little friends will have to find you now." Marik said, and then pulled Joey up on his feet. If only Yami was this easy to beat, then he'd finally have the power of the Pharaoh that he believed was rightfully his. 'Soon Yami, we will face each other. And the stakes are much higher than you ever imagined!' Marik thought to himself, smirking the entire time.  
  
Szymeth and the other Warlords appeared and escorted Joey away to the throne room to see what Talpa wanted to do with him. Where the others were, they were wondering what happened to Joey. In the throne room, Talpa looked up as the Warlords entered with a struggling Joey. Marik came in behind them.  
  
"Who is this?" Talpa demanded.  
  
"He lost a duel to me and now he'll be part of the bargain along with the other two that you have captive," Marik said.  
  
Talpa grinned and looked at the Warlords. "Take him to the dungeons."  
  
They dragged Joey down to the dungeons where he was thrown into a cell and the door slammed and locked behind him. Where the others were, Yami and the others had just met up with the Ronins.  
  
"Have you seen Joey?" Buka asked.  
  
They shook their heads and that's when Marik appeared behind them. "He's enjoying the company of Talpa."  
  
"Let him and the others go, Marik," Tristan said.  
  
But Marik just laughed and disappeared once again. Up at the tower, Rowen glanced over at Ryo who was coming around again.  
  
"You okay?" Rowen asked.  
  
"I feel alot better than I did," Ryo said. "At least the sting in my back has left."  
  
--to be continued-- 


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I would like to thank my friend Gina (Buka 2000) for co-writing this story for me. Her help was greatly appreciated.  
  
After Joey's capture, Ryou and Yami were now more desperate than ever to defeat Marik  
  
and stop his plan. Of course they both had no real idea who Marik would target next in  
  
order to carry his plan to fruition. Ryou turned down a dark hallway, letting Yami and Buka  
  
head off in the other direction. He figured that they would do better in finding their friends  
  
if they split up.  
  
Then halfway down, Ryou saw a familiar face. He stopped in his tracks as he saw Marik  
  
standing there, his Millennium Rod held out. Ryou held his breath as he approached Marik,  
  
he was not going to make the same mistake that Joey did. But he did want to help save his  
  
friend, and if this was the only way to do it then he'd have to face Marik.  
  
"Marik, tell me what are you planning to do with Joey and the others?" Ryou asked, crossing  
  
his arms.  
  
"That is for me to know, and for you to find out. Which will be sooner than you think, that  
  
is if you lose a duel against me. You win: well you get your friends back. If not, then you'll  
  
find out where exactly Joey went off to."  
  
Ryou stood back in shock, and then nodded. He knew that if he didn't do well, then Bakura  
  
would take over. Which seemed to happen even if he wasn't expecting it. It was hard having  
  
an unpredicatable yami, as Ryou knew all too well. If only Bakura was more like Yami, then  
  
it wouldn't be as bad.  
  
"I accept your terms, Marik. And as an added incentive, if I win I also gain your Millennium  
  
Road. And I will accept whatever terms you have should I lose. But I seriously doubt that  
  
will happen," Bakura said, he had switched with Ryou unexpectantly. One could tell if they  
  
looked close enough. His features were much harsher, and his expression seemed full of  
  
hatred and loathing as opposed to Ryou's angelic one.  
  
Marik nodded, and then lead Bakura to where he and Joey dueled. This time he figure he'd  
  
let the spirit onf the ring go first, and see exactly what he had.  
  
"You can start first," Marik smirked.  
  
Bakura smirked, and drew his first card. This was how he started his last duel, but he knew  
  
he may have the upper hand here. He seriously doubted that Marik would use his God Card  
  
on him, but then again anything was possible. And he had learned to never underestimate  
  
anyone.  
  
"Very well. I summon the Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams in defense mode, and I set two  
  
cards face down." Bakura kept a straight face, but he had a determined look in his eyes.  
  
"Hmm . . . bold move. I put one card face down, and I summon Vorse Raider in attack mode,  
  
and now Vorse Raider attack his Gross Ghost!" Marik ordered, he then watched as the   
  
Gross Ghost was destroyed.  
  
Bakura just shook his head, so far everything was going according to plan. He drew again,  
  
then looked at Marik. A small grin showed up across his lips, but he dared not reveal his  
  
plan just yet.  
  
"First I activate Dark Door, now you can only attack with one monster per turn. Next, I  
  
summon The Portrait's Secret in attack mode." Bakura ended his turn once again, this time  
  
he had another part of his plan in his mind. He already had part of the Destiny Board in  
  
his hand, he just needed the right time to play it.  
  
Marik looked at Bakura's face, and then he drew another card. It could be handy, but he  
  
wasn't going to use it just yet. Instead he had another plan up his sleeve, little did he know but  
  
his opponent also had a plan up his sleeve.  
  
"Is that it? I play Raigeki to get rid of your Portrait's Secret. Next, I'll use Vorse Raider to  
  
attack your life points directly." Marik smirked, he knew that this duel was as good as   
  
finished. He just needed one more card, and soon the former tomb robber would know the  
  
true power of an Egyptian God Card.  
  
Bakura stumbled back slightly, but he kept his gaze focused on Marik. Now seemed to be  
  
the perfect time to play his Destiny Board, and with that thought he drew. Once that was in  
  
play, Marik only have 5 turns to make any last minute moves because once the message was  
  
spelled out, the duel was automatically over.  
  
"I hope you are enjoying your lead while you can Marik. For now I play the Destiny Board,  
  
and every turn adds another letter of the message. Now watch as the first letter appears."  
  
Bakura smirked, and watched the F appear above him.  
  
'Of course, why didn't I see this coming? I should have known that the spirit of the ring would  
  
be using the Destiny Board, a last ditch effort if you ask me. I'd have better luck dueling the  
  
Pharaoh.' Marik thought to himself, and just chuckled. Destiny Board or no, he'd still win  
  
this.  
  
"That is a last ditch effort on your part. But if that's how you wish to go out, then that is fine  
  
by me. However, I happen to know that you not get a chance to complete your message. I  
  
now summon Humanoid Slime in defense mode, and I activate my Jam Breeding machine."  
  
"And how will that help you? Or are you planning to summon your God Card?" Bakura  
  
asked, actually intrigued by Marik's intentions.  
  
"You will find out in due time. Now I believe it is your move."  
  
Bakura nodded, and drew his next card. This brought him closer to his goal, and once this  
  
monster was destroyed he could carry out the second step of his master plan. This was going  
  
to be too easy, or so the former tomb robber thought.  
  
"I still believe that you are bluffing, and are in serious error if you believe you can win this.  
  
For another letter of the message has already appeared." Bakura started, and grinned  
  
slightly. He then looked at his hand.  
  
"I am not scared of your Ouija board. Now make your move." Marik said flatly, growing  
  
more impatient by the second.  
  
"I place two cards face down, and I summon Souls of the Forgotten in defense mode. Your  
  
move." Bakura just stood back, and crossed his arms. He was growing bored with this  
  
duel already, since Marik hadn't made any decent moves.  
  
Marik just shrugged, then drew his card. A wide grin crept across his face as he saw what  
  
he needed, plus he already had his trump card in his hand the entire time. This was going to  
  
be too easy, and poor Bakura was too clueless to figure it out.  
  
"I'm afraid this ends here and now! I sacrifice Vorse Raider, Humanoid Slime and one   
  
Slime Token to summon the unstoppable god, the Winged Dragon of Ra!" Once again, he  
  
managed to summon his all powerful God Card. He figured it was because he was against  
  
duelists who didn't know who they were up against.  
  
"It can't be . . . I thought you were bluffing!" Bakura had the same look on his face that Joey  
  
had, then the tomb robber went back to Ryou. Who was equally as shocked at the sight of  
  
the huge golden dragon staring down at him. He had no idea that it could have an attack of  
  
3200 that quickly.  
  
"You should learn by now Ryou Bakura that you should never underestimate the power of  
  
my deck! Now prepare to lose it all!" Marik cackled and looked over at Ryou, who was  
  
literally shaking. He debated if he should use One Turn Kill again or not.  
  
Ryou just narrowed his eyes, still staring at the sight of Ra. He had never seen anything like  
  
this before, but he had witnessed Slifer. And even now, the weaker god couldn't stand a   
  
chance against Ra.  
  
"Just finish it Marik. Do what you will, I already failed." Ryou sighed, and closed his eyes  
  
tightly awaiting the inevitable end.  
  
"Very well, I also activate One Turn Kill which makes Ra an awesome 7199." Marik  
  
smirked, then ordered the dragon to attack the much weaker Souls of the Forgotten card.  
  
Ryou fell to his knees, and awaited his punishment. He was about to find out what happened  
  
to his friends the hard way. As Marik walked over to him, the Warlords once again appeared  
  
and escorted Ryou to the dungeons. Joey looked up from where he was sitting as the door  
  
once again and opened and Ryou was shoved in then the door was closed and locked  
  
behind them.  
  
"Joey!" Ryou said, glad to see that his friend was okay.  
  
He went over and sat down beside Joey. In the tower, Ryo and Rowen looked up as Talpa  
  
appeared before them with the Warlords right behind him.  
  
"Take them down to the dungeons," he told them. "They have friends waiting there for them."  
  
Ryo and Rowen were too weak to struggle against the Warlords as they were unchained.  
  
Their hands were held behind their backs and was forced to walk. In the cell, Ryou and  
  
Joey looked up as Ryo and Rowen stumbled into the cell. They looked around and saw  
  
them sitting in the corner.  
  
"How'd you guys get here?" Ryo asked as they sat down beside them.  
  
"We lost duels to Marik," Ryou answered.  
  
"Hopefully the others will find us soon," Rowen said.  
  
Yami and the others were not far from Talpa's throne room when Marik appeared before   
  
them.  
  
--to be continued-- 


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Once again I would like to thank Buka 2000 for helping me write this fic. Feel free to check out her stories as well. Oh, and Fairy's Blessing is a made up card. Sorry for any confusion.  
  
"So, we finally meet Pharaoh." Marik smirked, looking at Yami and Buka. The others were gathered around them as well.  
  
"Marik, your problem is with me not our friends. So let us pass and set our friends free!" Yami narrowed his eyes, attempting to move past him.  
  
"Koishii . . ." Buka started, staying back from the arguing pair. She had something of Yami's that he gave her after his duel with Strings. Silently, she drew the second Egyptian God card from her deck.  
  
Marik watched with interest, and a small grin remained on his face. He had been mislead all this time, believing that Yami had Slifer all this time. And here his girlfriend was holding it in her deck, it is a small world after all or so he believed. Then he got a brilliant idea. Why not raise the stakes even higher?  
  
"You know I want the power that is rightfully mine, Yami. And since the only way I can gain your puzzle is by defeating you in a duel, then I challenge you to a duel here and now. As for added incentive, I'll make sure that every time you lose life points something happens to your little girlfriend." Marik cackled, then motioned for Sekhmet to hold Buka back.  
  
"Leave her out of this! I accept your challenge, and should I win you release both Buka and our friends. And I know what happens if we lose, so let's just get this duel started." Yami growled, looking over at Buka every now and then.  
  
All Buka could do was watch helplessly, then she slid Slifer across the floor face down. That was the only way Yami could beat Marik, but it all depended on if he had the right cards. She knew that the dragons attack power was determined by how many cards the owner held in his or her hand.  
  
"Do this for Ryou, Joey and everyone that Marik has hurt so far! I believe in you koishii!" Buka called out, only to get her mouth covered by Sekhmet's hand.  
  
Marik sighed and shook his head. There had to be a better way to get that girl to shut up, without resorting to violence or killing her. He figured she could prove to be useful for him later on at any rate.  
  
"I'll start this duel," Yami started then drew his first card. "I play Alpha the Magnet Warrior in attack mode, and I place two cards face down."  
  
Buka grinned, wanting to cheer him on. But it was almost impossible with someone's hand over her mouth. Then she smirked, and bit Sekhmet when he wasn't paying any attention only to get a few loud curses. She didn't count on nearly getting thrown against the wall in return though.  
  
"Shame . . . you really should keep your girlfriend in check, Pharaoh. Now for my move, I summon Humanoid Slime in defense mode and I place two cards face down as well." Marik said, watching his every move.  
  
"Perhaps, but it will be a shame for you when I win this. I set one more card face down, and I play Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts in defense mode. Your move Marik." Yami grinned, and then looked over at Buka who had almost gotten herself free.  
  
Smirking, Marik drew his next card. Vorse Raider, as expected. He had other good monsters too, but he was just waiting to make this a battle of the God Cards. He knew that Ra could easily take out Slifer with just one attack.  
  
"Foolish move, Pharaoh. Now watch as I make my move. I summon Vorse Raider and I attack your Magnet Warrior."  
  
"That is just what I wanted you to do. You just activated my Mirror Force trap card; it destroys all monsters in attack mode." Yami smirked, and watched as the Vorse Raider was destroyed.  
  
Buka cheered, ignoring Sekhmet's attempts to hold her back. She had learned how to escape from strong holds the hard way, but that was a different story in itself.  
  
"You got lucky Pharaoh. I end my turn then, it's a pity really. I wanted to see Bukasha get what is coming to her."  
  
Yami narrowed his eyes a little further. This time he got a very dangerous look in his eyes, showing that he meant business and was not about to back down. If any harm came to her, or their friends then Marik would have to deal with a very angry Pharaoh.  
  
"Luck has nothing to do with it Marik. I now summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode, and I place one card face down."  
  
"Foolish Pharaoh. I sacrifice my Humanoid Slime, and I summon Ushi Oni in attack mode. And I will attack Beta, causing you to lose 400 life points." Marik smirked, and then watched as the next part of his plan unfolded.  
  
Yami looked on in horror as Buka was hit with an arrow right near her collar bone. And where the arrow came from? Perhaps it was another one of the Warlords who was in on this whole duel from the beginning, or it was someone else entirely. Either way, he closed his eyes as she saw her stumble as she got hit.  
  
"Tenshi! No . . . Marik, I told you to leave her out of this! Now let us settle this like mature people instead of resorting to your foolish games."  
  
"You would like that wouldn't you? Now take a look at your precious tenshi while you can. The next time, we won't miss." He smirked noting the arrow above the collar bone, placed right near the top of her shoulder.  
  
Buka fell to her knees from the pain, holding the shaft of the arrow with her hand. This was some of the worst pain that she had ever endured, and it marked the first time she was actually hit with an arrow.  
  
"Don't worry about me . . ." Buka said, tears welling up in her eyes. But she had to be strong; she had been taught the hard way to never show weakness. And she had the scars to prove it.  
  
Yami nodded, and then narrowed his eyes. He still had a fool proof plan, even if it meant summoning Slifer then so be it. As he drew, a small grin crept across his face. That never meant anything good, but he was not going to use his plan just yet. He knew that Marik was tricky, so he just had to think like a trickster himself.  
  
"First I activate Swords of Revealing Light, so you can't attack for three whole turns. Then I place Gamma the Magnet Warrior in attack mode. That's it for me." Yami grinned, but he knew that Marik must have another plan set. There were other ways for him to lose life points, and in turn more ways for Buka to get hurt.  
  
"A last ditch effort no doubt. Since I can't attack your monsters just yet, I'll play Oozaki! That takes away 800 of your life points, and you know what happens when you lose life points." Marik smirked, and then watched as another arrow hit Buka. This time it hit her between the ribs on her right side.  
  
Yami narrowed his eyes, wondering who the hell had been firing the arrows at Buka. He then looked on in horror as the arrow pierced her side, causing her to cry out in pain.  
  
"Tenshi! Marik, you leave me no choice . . . You will pay for harming Buka and my friends!" Yami drew his next card, and then closed his eyes. 'Come on . . .' He thought, and then he opened his eyes, feeling a great power come from the card that he just drew.  
  
"I sacrifice Gamma, Gazelle and Alpha to summon the all powerful Slifer the Sky Dragon! And since you can't attack, I am free to attack your remaining monsters!" Yami said, watching the large red dragon appear beside him.  
  
Buka looked up, wincing slightly as she moved forward a bit out of Sekhmet's grip. She then looked over toward where the arrows came from and stumbled back a little, it was Anubis. And he was poised to strike her again, perhaps in a more vital area than her shoulder or ribs. She coughed slightly as she spoke to Yami.  
  
"Koishii, you can do this! You just need a few more cards and you have this duel!" Buka started, only to get hit again this time in the stomach. That caused her to fall onto her left side, and cry out in pain again.  
  
"I'd advise you to keep out of this Kashii! Now just let your boyfriend finish his duel or you won't be around to see the outcome." Anubis said, getting another arrow ready just in case Buka decided not to listen to him.  
  
"Well looks like you're worse off than I thought Pharaoh. Not only will you lose this duel, but you're about to lose your girlfriend as well. She's been hit three times, and is already losing a bit of blood. Do your worst, Slifer only has 2000 attack points right now at any rate, so he hardly poses a threat." Marik smirked, waiting for Yami to make his next move.  
  
Yami looked over at Buka, who was lying motionless on the floor. He sighed to himself and closed his eyes again. He was not going to lose this duel, or Buka. There was no way that he was going to let that happen, she meant the whole world to him.  
  
"Now I activate Pot of Greed! Slifer is now up to 4000, which is more than enough to take out your monsters and a good chunk of your life points. Consider this payback for all the pain you have caused!"  
  
Marik narrowed his eyes, knowing that trap and magic cards are useless against the God Cards. And there were still 2 more turns until the Swords of Revealing light wore off. This duel was over, and he knew it. It just wasn't the way he wanted it to end at all.  
  
Buka tried to look up at Yami, but she just felt like going to sleep. She was in more pain that she had been in for a long time. That and this was the first time that she had been so close to death.  
  
"Now, Slifer attack his Ushi Oni!" Yami smirked, and watched as Marik stumbled back slightly. His life points were down considerably now, and he was far from done. He had one more thing he could do to finish this once and for all.  
  
"Come on . . . You can do this . . ." Buka managed to say before passing out from blood loss and shock.  
  
"That only got rid of 1900 of my life points, big deal." Marik smirked, now there was only one turn left until the Swords of Revealing light wore off. Just what he needed to get Ra.  
  
Yami just narrowed his eyes, then pulled a card that could help him. "I use Dark Magic Curtain and summon the Dark Magician! He has never let me down, and he won't start now!" Yami then realized his mistake, and saw Buka get hit with a 4th arrow right below the 3rd, and that was not good for one reason.  
  
Then for some unknown reason, Buka's Wingweaver showed up next to the Dark Magician. She stood with her arms crossed, and smiled at her true love before looking over at Marik.  
  
"How the hell is that possible? That Wingweaver is a fairy, why did she appear with your Dark Magician?" Marik stood shocked, knowing that an attack by both will effectively wipe out the rest of his life points.  
  
"When my Dark Magician was summoned, that activated my face down card Fairy's Blessing. It enables me to summon any Wingweaver from a nearby player's deck, and that would be Buka's Wingweaver. Plus they have the strengths of both light and dark, and they support each other. So prepare to lose it all!"  
  
'Thank you Tenshi . . . This proves that above all, love conquers every obstacle thrown in its way.'  
  
"Hmm . . . well I summon Sangan in defense mode. So you can't do anything to my life points now." Marik smirked, sounding pretty confident in his plan.  
  
"Oh, but I can! Slifer, attack his Sangan! That is not all, Marik. Wingweaver and Dark Magician, attack his life points directly!" Yami smirked, watching all three attacks make a direct hit on their intended targets. He watched as Marik slumped to the ground, then he ran over to Buka.  
  
"Tenshi . . . I am so sorry . . ." Yami said, holding her in his arms. Being very careful not to hurt her any more than she was, he didn't care about the blood seeping into his black tank top. He put one hand above where the fourth arrow hit, praying that nothing happened to her or their soon to be little blessing.  
  
Buka was still breathing, but it was labored. She placed her free hand on top of Yami's, she was basically praying for the same thing he was. That nothing happened to their miracle in waiting.  
  
"It's alright . . . I'm right here . . ." Yami sighed, keeping her held close  
  
Yami knew he had to get her to the others. Maybe they knew what to do. He picked her up and started walking away when Sage and Kento came around the corner.  
  
"What happened?" Kento asked when he saw Buka.  
  
"She got hit by four arrows," Yami said, putting her down. "Can you do anything for her."  
  
"If we can get these arrows out, I'll be able to heal her," Sage said. "My armor has healing powers."  
  
As Sage freed the one out of her shoulder, Buka lapsed into unconsciousness. Sage and Kento then was able to get the rest of the arrows out. Sage transformed into his armor and placed his hands on Buka. Buka started glowing and all four wounds healed. Sage, feeling weak, dropped down against Kento.  
  
"You okay?" Yami asked, concerned etched in his face.  
  
"Yeah," Sage answered. "Healing people takes alot out of me sometimes."  
  
They looked down as Buka's eyes opened and she sat up.  
  
"We need to find the others," Kento said. "Knowing Talpa, he probably has them in the dungeons somewhere."  
  
They took off heading for the dungeons after Buka and Sage were able to rest.  
  
--to be continued-- 


	5. Chapter 5

In the throne room, Talpa was furious at Marik. He glared at Marik and the Warlords that was standing before him.  
  
"How dare you fail me," Talpa bellowed. "Go to the dungeons and bring the prisoners here and don't think of failing me."  
  
The Warlords left to go to the dungeons. In the cell, Joey and the others were trying to figure out how they were going to get out of there when they heard the door open and the four Warlords entered. Since their kanji balls had been taken when they were captured, Ryo and Rowen couldn't donn their armors and they were too weak to fight them. They were taken away to the throne room. Where Yami and the others are, they had gotten to the cell in time to see them disappearing around the corner.  
  
"They're taking them to the throne room," Kento said.  
  
In the throne room, Marik looked up from where he was sitting as they were pushed into the throne room and over to stand in front of Talpa.  
  
"Take Wildfire and Strata back up to the tower," Talpa said to Sekhmet and Dais. Then he turned to look down at Ryou and Joey. "Tie them up in the tower also."  
  
Ryo and Rowen stole glances at each other when Talpa said that. They were forced up to the tower where they were tied once again between the poles. Ryou and Joey were tied around two of the poles. Near the throne room, they met up with Cye and the Mystic Warriors and they was about to enter the throne room when the Warlords appeared behind them.  
  
"We'll take care of these guys," Sakura told them. "Go find the others."  
  
While the girls faced off against the Warlords, the others barged into the throne room, looking around for their friends and didn't find them. They did however find Marik standing beside Talpa, who was sitting on his throne.  
  
"Where are the others, Talpa?" Cye demanded.  
  
"You'll never find them," Marik said approaching ever so slightly.  
  
"Stay out of this Marik," Yami said. "I beat you fair and square."  
  
Marik just walked away. Yami was still mad about what had happened to Buka and wanted revenge on him. They watched as Talpa stood up and started towards them.  
  
"Stand back," Sage told Yami and Buka. "We'll take care of this."  
  
They all donned their armors and prepared for a fight while Yami and Buka backed away from the battle and stood near the wall. Sage and Kento were both flung backwards by Talpa. They laid on the floor, dazed, while Cye was left to face Talpa. Cye got ready to use his sure-kill.  
  
"SUPER WAVE SMASHER!"  
  
The sure-kill didn't even phase Talpa and before he knew it, Talpa had him off the ground, his hand around his neck. Sage and Kento was still not moving and watched in horror as Cye was thrown across the room where he slammed into the wall, hitting hooks which three of them pierced right through his armor. He fell to the ground, unconscious, his armor disappearing. Talpa turned to Kento and Sage, but the Mystic Warriors raced into the room just then, fully armored.  
  
"We'll finish this later," Talpa said and he and Marik disappeared.  
  
Sage and Kento got to their feet and raced over to where Cye laid.  
  
"We need to get him back to the house," Kiseki said. "We'll have to come back for the others after we've rested."  
  
Sage was able to heal most of the wounds, but they were deep. As they got Cye to his feet, he started to come around. Sage and Kento supported him between them and they hurried out of the castle, heading back to Mia's.  
  
--to be continued-- 


	6. Chapter 6

Talpa stood watching as the Ronins and their friends ran out of the gates and into the woods.  
  
"They'll be back for their friends," Marik said.  
  
"Don't you think I don't know that," Talpa yelled. He turned to Sekhmet, "Bring Wildfire down here."  
  
"Yes master," Sekhmet said and disappeared.  
  
In the tower, they looked up as Sekhmet appeared and unchained Ryo and Ryo was forced to go with him back to the throne room where Talpa was waiting. Once again he was again chained facing the wall, and he knew what was coming.  
  
"Leave us," Talpa said as he picked up the whip once again. After they left, "You're friends might get you and your friends back, but you won't be unscarred."  
  
Ryo tensed as the whip connected with his back once again. This time, it was harder and faster. Talpa was mad and he was taking his anger out on him. Talpa stopped as Ryo slumped against the chains holding him. He was bleeding heavily from the cuts the whip had made in his back. He called for Dais and Cale and they unchained him and carried him up to the tower once again. At Mia's, Mia saw them coming up the yard and she also saw Kento and Sage helping Cye along and she immediately knew he was hurt, probably badly.  
  
"What happened?" she asked as she came out of the house.  
  
"Get the first-aid kit and meet us up in his room," Sage said as he and Kento helped Cye upstairs and into his and Kento's room. Cye had once again passed out from the pain as Mia entered the room. Turning him on his side, they taped heavy bandages to the wounds on his back. They had somewhat stopped bleeding but they were still bleeding.  
  
They tucked Cye in his bed and headed back downstairs to join the others. Tristan and Serenity was concerned since Ryou and Joey were both in the hands of Talpa. Everyone was sore and tired and decided to head back to the castle in the morning. Cye would have to stay behind this time because of his injuries. At the castle, Rowen glanced up as Dais and Cale appeared carrying Ryo, who was still unconscious and he was once again chained in between the two poles. Ryou cringed at the sight of the cuts on his back. They were awful looking.  
  
"Man, what did they do to him?" Ryou asked Rowen.  
  
"Talpa probably hit him with a whip again," Rowen said. "He did that to him when we were first captured."  
  
Cye came around around 3 and when he went to sit up, a burning pain went straight up his back and he almost got sick. Kento was awaken by the movement and hurried over to him.  
  
"It's okay Cye," Kento said.  
  
"What happened?" he asked, as he laid back down against the pillows but had to shift to his side when the pain hit when he sat back.  
  
"You were hurt by Talpa," Kento said. "You were pierced in the back by three hooks on the throne room wall. We're going to rescue Ryo, Rowen, Joey and Ryou has soon as the sun rises. and we think it would be better if you stayed here."  
  
"Probably a good idea," Cye said. "How's the others taking it?"  
  
They sat and talked a while until Cye started nodding off again and Kento went back to his own bed and soon fell asleep. In Yami and Tristan's room, Buka entered and crossed over to where Yami was sleeping. He hadn't switched back with Yugi since the events at the castle. He woke up as she sat down on the edge of the bed.  
  
"You okay?" Yami asked, sitting up.  
  
"Let's go downstairs and talk," Buka suggested. "That way we don't wake Tristan up."  
  
He nodded and they left and went down to the living room.  
  
"Yami, I worried," Buka said. "What if the baby was hurt by those arrows?"  
  
"I'm sure the baby wasn't harmed," Yami said. "Once this is over, we'll make an appointment with the doctor to check."  
  
"I hope nothing happened," Buka said starting to cry and leaned against Yami who wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.  
  
"It's okay," Yami said. "I won't let anything happen to you ever again. I promise you that."  
  
He picked the remote up and clicked on the television and flipped through the channels. They found a movie to watch and fell asleep not long after that. Meanwhile, Ryo started to come around to find himself back in the tower. Pain flew up his back, reminding him of the beating he had gotten from Talpa. Rowen woke up at the movement, noticing Ryo was awake.  
  
"How are you feeling Ryo?" he asked.  
  
"Been better," Ryo answered. "That was alot worse than the first time. He really was steamed."  
  
They glanced over and saw that both Ryou and Joey were sound asleep against the poles.  
  
"At least they're doing okay?" Rowen said.  
  
--to be continued-- 


	7. Chapter 7

Sage came down the next morning to find Buka and Yami sound asleep on the couch with the TV on. Sage went over and shook Buka's shoulder, waking her up. Yami was also awaken when she moved.  
  
"Morning already?" Buka said looking over at Sage.  
  
"Yeah," Sage said. "The others should be up soon and we'll head back to the castle."  
  
They followed Sage into the kitchen where they started breakfast. Upstairs, Kento tossed the covers back and stretched. He glanced over at Cye and found he was sound asleep, but as he moved over to the closet, Cye woke up and glanced over at him.  
  
"You guys going back to the castle?" Cye asked as Kento got dressed and started to head for the door.  
  
"Yeah," Kento said. "Mia's going to look after you while we're gone."  
  
Cye fell asleep once again and Kento headed downstairs. In the tower, Rowen was awaken once again by the netherspirits. It seemed they were getting louder and louder and it was really getting annoying. He saw Ryou and Joey cringe at the noise.  
  
"What in the world are those things?" Joey just about screamed over the noise.  
  
"They're the netherspirits," Rowen said. "Talpa controls them."  
  
In the throne room, Talpa looked up from his chair as the four Warlords entered the room.  
  
"The Ronins will be coming back for their friends," Talpa said. "It's time to put our plan into action. Take the four in the tower to the designated places."  
  
Ryo was starting to come around when the Warlords appeared. Anubis moved in front of Joey; Dais to Rowen; Cale to Ryou and Sekhmet to Ryo. They disappeared with them. When Joey looked up he was standing in some sort of maze with Anubis right beside him. Dais took Rowen to the dungeon. Cale dropped Ryou in a pit somewhere on the grounds of the castle. Ryo was taken straight to the throne room where he was once again chained to the wall. Back at the house, Yami tried to get Buka to stay there but she wouldn't have any of it and Yami couldn't change her mind.  
  
They left about an hour later, heading for the castle once more. Mia meanwhile went upstairs to check on Cye and see if the bandages needed to be changed. Cye woke up as she opened the door.  
  
"Did they leave?" he asked as she came over.  
  
"Yeah," Mia said. "I'm going to look at the bandages on your back."  
  
He nodded and she went over to the other side of the bed. He was still laying on his side because of the pain he felt every time he tried to put pressure on his back. She peeled away one of the bandages and saw no more blood and knew it was a very good sign. She checked the others and saw the same thing.  
  
"Everything looks good," she told him as she sat down in the chair.  
  
"Yeah, but it still hurts to lay on my back," Cye said.  
  
"It'll be sore for awhile," Mia said. "They were pretty deep wounds."  
  
At the castle, Ryo knew that Talpa wanted him in the throne room to torture him more. He had no idea where they had taken the others. He looked up as Talpa came over once again with the whip.  
  
"You're friends might succeed in rescuing you, but you won't be in good shape," Talpa said to him.  
  
"Where did you put the others Talpa?" Ryo demanded as Talpa came closer.  
  
"You'll never find out Wildfire," Talpa said.  
  
Ryo once again was facing the wall with Talpa unleashing the whip on his back causing the last cuts to reopen again and more to form. Talpa was enjoying it as Ryo's head jerked back from the pain and laughed in enjoyment. He didn't stop until Ryo slumped against the chains holding him. Kento, Sage, Sakura, Kiseki, Sugoshi, Shinju and Kirei once again entered the castle grounds and headed for the castle. They decided to split up. Sage, Sakura and Kiseki headed towards the maze and Sugoshi, Kento and Shinju headed for the castle. Buka, Yami and Kirei head in the other direction. Joey was stuckin the maze with vines around his wrists and ankles. He was suspended off the ground near the top of the maze wall. A dozen dynasty soldiers guarded him, standing around. He heard footsteps running towards his location and when he looked he saw Sage, Sakura and Kiseki as they camerunning around the corner of the maze, skidding to a stop as the warriors turned towards them, getting ready to fight.  
  
"Watch out guys," Joey yelled.  
  
They formed into their armor and faced up against the warriors. In five minutes, they were dust. Sakura cut Joey down from where he was being held.  
  
"You okay Joey?" Sage asked.  
  
"I'm fine," Joey said. "Where's the others?"  
  
"They're looking for the others," Kiseki said. "Do you have any idea where the others are being held?"  
  
Joey shook his head and they started into the maze once again. In the throne room, Marik entered and stood before Talpa.  
  
"What do you want?" Talpa ordered.  
  
"I want to take care of Yami myself," Marik said.  
  
"You already had your chance," Talpa said. "Tell me one reason why I should give you another chance?  
  
"I have a plan that won't fail," Marik said. "I'll tell you the plan and you decide whether or not you will go through with it."  
  
--to be continued-- 


	8. Chapter 8

Buka and Yami had been walking through the halls along with Kirei, trying to find their other friends. Deep inside Buka was still worried if their child had been harmed by the arrows or not. For now she decided to keep her thoughts to herself, but soon she stopped in her tracks. A shadow darted across the hall in front of the three, causing them all to stop.  
  
"Who or what was that?" Kirei asked.  
  
"Good question . . ." Yami started, and then he stepped in front of Buka instinctively. If anything was going to happen, he was going to protect her this time. He vowed that he'd never let anything hurt her again, and he was a Pharaoh of his word.  
  
"We meet again Pharaoh. I decided to try for a rematch, mostly because I personally had a little too much fun with seeing your girlfriend suffer like that." Marik said, stepping out from behind a pillar.  
  
"Marik . . . I beat you fair and square, so leave us alone!" Yami said, narrowing his eyes.  
  
Marik just laughed, and then he managed to pull Buka out from behind him. If he couldn't get rid of her earlier, then he'll do so now. A smirk hid his true intentions, which were to be made known soon enough.  
  
"I don't want to duel you, Pharaoh. I want to duel Bukasha. See if she is as good as I've heard, or if she is just your little shadow. Personally I don't think she can duel her way out of a paper bag."  
  
Buka glared, and looked at Yami before turning to Marik. She was not one to back down from a duel, and she was not about to start now. Although she had a lot more at stake this time.  
  
"I accept Marik. Now who will start this off?" Buka asked, narrowing her eyes.  
  
"I'll start this off by putting Revival Jam in defense mode, and then I activate my Jam Breeding Machine." Marik smirked, knowing that she couldn't do anything against Ra.  
  
"Oh no . . . Tenshi, be careful! Just remember what you have in your deck!" Yami said, hoping that Marik didn't know what he was telling her. He had put Slifer back in her deck while Buka was asleep. But he wasn't sure if the stress of maintaining a powerful God Card would be too much for her and the baby or not.  
  
Buka nodded, remembering that Marik tried this same strategy earlier. Of course Yami was able to get Slifer with no problem because he had Swords of Revealing Light. She had that, and Nightmare's Steel Cage.  
  
"Fair enough. I place two cards face down and I place a monster face down in defense mode. Your move Marik." She smirked, knowing that he can't attack it because of the Jam Breeding Machine's effect. All she needed was either Harpie's Feather Duster or Heavy Storm.  
  
"Hmm . . . I'll place put one card face down, then a monster in defense mode. Now watch as my Jam Breeding Machine produces the first of many Slime Tokens." Marik said, noting the look in her eyes.  
  
'Oh no . . .' Buka thought to herself, partly because she knew she was trapped right now. That and a slight wave of nausea hit her again.  
  
"Come on, you can do this. Even if he does summon Ra, he can't do anything because he'll have no attack points." Yami said, noting the fear in Buka's eyes. He could also tell that she wasn't feeling that great.  
  
"Right, I can do this. Marik, you think you have the last laugh. First I place Mystical Elf in defense mode and then I activate Heavy Storm! Say goodbye to your magic and trap cards. And that's not all, now I reveal Gora Turtle! Gora, take out the Slime Token!" Buka smirked, her strategy was perfect. She looked at her hand, and saw that she had just the card she needed.  
  
"Alright! That's showing him!" Kirei said, and then looked over at Yami. "Why did she play such a weak monster as Gora Turtle?"  
  
"Gora Turtle has a special effect. No monsters above 1900 attack points can attack it, so right now she's in the clear. I know that Marik has his Vorse Raider hiding in there somewhere."  
  
Marik narrowed his eyes for a moment, and then a small grin crept across his face. He did have a way to get rid of that turtle. It may have been drastic, but he was willing to risk it. He knew that people used weak monsters to just buy some time until they got the good ones.  
"So sorry Bukasha, but I'm afraid your turtle is done for. I activate Raigeki!"  
  
"Hmm . . . nice move, but you activated my trap card Magic Jammer!" Buka grinned, knowing that her trap card would actually come in handy.  
  
"You just got lucky. I place one monster card face down, and that ends it for me." Marik said, glaring at Buka the entire time.  
  
Yami watched on, praying that Buka would have something to end this. And soon, but he knew that he could always count on her to get out of a tough spot. She had a secret weapon in her deck, but he also knew that it was too soon to call out Slifer.  
  
"Alright Marik, perhaps I did get lucky. But try and call this luck, for now I activate Swords of Revealing Light. Next, I place a monster face down in defense mode. That's it for me."  
  
"Good move . . ." Yami said keeping his fingers crossed.  
"So I can't move for three turns, your pathetic boyfriend did the same thing. However, now I can summon your worst nightmare! I activate Soul Exchange, so I will take your Gora Turtle. And now I sacrifice Gora Turtle, Vorse Raider and Revival Jam in order to summon the Winged Dragon of Ra!" Marik smirked, watching as his dragon went up to 4500. "And I also activate Dust Tornado, which gets rid of your Swords of Revealing Light. So now say goodbye to your Mystical Elf!"  
  
Buka slid back as Ra attacked her elf; at least she avoided a direct attack. That would be bad, especially from a card like Ra. Now she realized that she was in trouble, she couldn't activate Soul Exchange now.  
  
"No . . ." Kirei said.  
  
"Wait, Buka still has her face down card. That has to be Cyber Jar . . ." Yami whispered so Marik couldn't hear him. He knew Buka's strategy all too well.  
  
Buka sighed and drew her next card. It may not be much, but it could help her out immensely later on. She looked at Marik and crossed her arms over her stomach. She was only just starting to show a little bit, but only if one looked closely enough.  
  
"Hmm . . . I suppose it's my turn to play a little trick on you Marik. This is risky, but I am willing to do it. I activate my own Raigeki!" Buka smirked, praying that he didn't have Anti Raigeki.  
  
"Damn . . . Alright, that's enough! I am done playing around Bukasha!"  
  
Yami glared at Marik, watching Buka's move. That was very risky, but he was proud of her nonetheless. This just proved that she was an excellent duelist, and an even better strategist.  
  
"It's your move Marik."  
  
"I know that. I summon Melchid the four faced beast, and then I will attack your face down monster!" He watched, and then paled as he saw what it was. Everything was now destroyed again, and they had to get a new hand.  
  
"Cyber Jar, now we get a new hand added to what we already have. But we must discard what we can't put out just yet." Buka noted, but frowned as she got all her high level monsters and no weak ones.  
  
"Since it's still my move, I can now attack your life points directly with another Vorse Raider! That will end it for me." Marik smirked, watching as his Vorse Raider struck Buka.  
  
Buka fell to her knees, panting slightly. Tears hit the floor below her; it was obvious that she was scared out of her mind. Not only for herself and hers and Yami's unborn child, but for the safety of their friends as well. She had no choice but to cry out in pain as the attack hit.  
  
"No . . . Marik this has gone on long enough! If you so much as harm her, you will have to deal with me!" Yami said, getting a dangerous tone in his voice.  
  
"I'll be fine . . . I have the perfect plan Koishii . . ." Buka said, her voice still shaking.  
  
Marik raised an eyebrow, but decided to humor her anyway. This duel wasn't going to last long anyway.  
  
"First I place Gemini Elf in Defense mode, and then I activate Monster Reborn to bring back my Wingweaver that I had discarded. We'll see who's laughing now when I get through with you. Wingweaver attack his Vorse Raider, and then I will get Gemini Elf to hit your life points directly!"  
  
"Alright, that's my Tenshi!" Yami grinned, watching Marik fall to his knees again.  
  
"Bukasha . . . you are going to pay for that!" Marik drew, and then he smirked. "I place another monster face down and end my turn. Move if you want."  
  
Buka narrowed her eyes, wondering what monster Marik had face down. But it didn't matter; she had enough monsters now to get Slifer. And that is just what she wanted to do.  
  
"I will, Marik. I activate my own Soul Exchange! I'll be sacrificing your monster, Wingweaver and Gemini Elf to summon Slifer the Sky Dragon!" Buka watched as the dragon appeared next to her, already up to an impressive 4000 points.  
  
"Yami, do you know why Slifer got that high already?" Kirei asked, noting that Slifer had a very powerful attack just from being summoned to the field.  
  
Yami nodded with a grin still across his face. He knew exactly why Slifer was so high powered; it all depended on how many cards the owner held in his or her hand.  
  
"It's simple really. Slifer's attack is determined by how many cards the player holds in his or her hand. Buka has four cards right now, so Slifer gets 1000 points per card. That's why he is up to 4000." Yami answered, and then he turned back to the duel. Once again Marik was outsmarted, and this time by the least likely suspect.  
  
"How the hell did you get Slifer?! The Pharaoh is supposed to be the one that holds the power of the almighty Slifer the Sky Dragon!" Marik asked, vowing that he will still find a way to get Yami back for this.  
  
"Easy. He gave me the card after he won that duel against your lackey, Strings. Now he is in my control, and he will also take out the rest of your life points! Attack Marik directly!" Buka said, before falling forward.  
  
Marik fell back after the attack, and then he stood up after the dragon disappeared and the smoke cleared. He saw the perfect opportunity now, now he can carry out his plan to get to Yami.  
  
"So sorry Pharaoh, but it appears your girlfriend is too weak to handle the power of an Egyptian God! So now she'll be with me!" Marik laughed and picked Buka up, tossing her over his shoulder before running off toward Talpa and the other Warlords.  
  
"No . . . Tenshi!" Yami cried out, clenching his fist the entire time. He had to save Buka, he vowed he'd never let anything happen to her again. And his word was his bond. Now he was scared for two reasons, Buka's safety and what could possibly happen to their baby.  
They watched as they disappeared around a corner.  
  
"We'll get her back Yami," Kirei said placing a hand on his shoulder. "But we need to find the others before we go after them."  
  
He nodded and they headed off to find the others. Meanwhile Sugoshi and the others had found themselves down in the dungeon part of the castle. Kento stopped at a corner and motioned for everyone to hault. They glanced around the corner and saw Dynasty Soldiers standing around a cell door.  
  
"They must have one of them in the cell," Sugoshi said.  
  
They already had their armor on and they rushed towards the soldiers destroying them in minutes since they took them by surprise. Rowen was chained in the middle of the cell when the door burst open and the others came in.  
  
"About time," he said when he saw them.  
  
"What? No hello," Kento said.  
  
"Very funny Kento," Rowen said. "Now get me out of here."  
  
They cut the chains around his wrists and he stood up rubbing them.  
  
"Can you armor up?"  
  
"Talpa took our kanji balls," Rowen said.  
  
"Do you know where they're keeping the others?"  
  
He shook his head and they exited the cell and headed out the way they came. In the throne room, Marik appeared with Buka who was still unconscious. Ryo was awake and watched with anger when he saw who he had.  
  
"Good job," Talpa said entering the room. "Tie her to the chair."  
  
Marik did as told and then left the room. Buka started coming around to see Talpa standing near her and nearly jumped but found she couldn't.  
  
"You're here in time to be my audience," Talpa said and then turned towards Ryo.  
  
Buka then saw Ryo chained to the wall. Talpa once again picked the whip up and walked right over to Ryo. Buka watched with horror as he was turned to face the wall and she saw the numerous cuts up and down his back. She flinched as the whip caught him right across the back.  
  
"Leave him alone Talpa!" she screamed.  
  
But that only made him hit Ryo even harder until he finally slumped against the chains and Talpa dropped the whip back onto his chair and stalked out of the room.  
  
--to be continued-- 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
Buka couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. Ryo was unconscious and bleeding heavily from the new cuts on his back. She wanted to help him, but couldn't do anything since she was tied to the chair.  
  
Meanwhile, Sage, Sakura, Sugoshi and Joey were making their way to the castle when they came around more Dynasty Soldiers standing around something.  
  
"I wonder what they're guarding." Sakura asked as they approached.  
  
"Let's take them out and find out," Sage said and they nodded.  
  
Joey stood back as they donned their armors and started attacking the soldiers. Ryou, who was in the pit they were guarding, glanced up at the sound of fighting and knew someone was there to rescue him. Before long, the soldiers were gone and then he saw Sage's face appear on the top of the pit.  
  
"What are you doing down in that pit?" Joey asked appearing next to Sage and then Sakura and Sugoshi showed up.  
  
"Oh, just hanging around," Ryou kidded. "Would you like to get me out of here?"  
  
They got Ryou out of the pit and started once again for the castle. In the throne room, Talpa came up with an idea to really get the Ronins wound up.  
  
"Go to the house and bring Torrent here," Talpa said to Anubis and Sekhmet.  
  
"Yes Master," they said and left to do his bidding.  
  
At the house, Mia left after Cye had fallen back asleep and was heading downstairs when she heard a crash from the living room and she knew it couldn't be good. She went over to the railing and looked down in time to see both Anubis and Sekhmet both in armor, walking toward the stairs. She hurried to Cye's room and locked the door. Cye was awakened by that and looked over at her.  
  
"What's wrong, Mia?" he asked trying to stand up, but almost fell.  
  
"Anubis and Sekhmet are heading upstairs," Mia said. "They're probably after you, since you're hurt."  
  
"Help me up," Cye said, grabbing his kanji ball off the dresser.  
  
"You're too weak to fight them off," Mia said walking over.  
  
"I need to protect you," Cye said.  
  
She helped him to his feet and he donned his armor. He laid his hand on the post of the bed to steady himself. In the hallway, Anubis and Sekhmet were trying every door until they found one that was locked.  
  
"And they think this will keep us out," Sekhmet said.  
  
They both rammed the door and sent it flying open to show Cye standing at the bed with Mia behind him. They also noticed his hand resting on the bed post and knew he was still weak. Cye pushed Mia toward the bathroom that went into Ryo's room.  
  
"Get out of here Mia," Cye said. "I'll take care of these two."  
  
Mia rushed out of the room and the Warlords didn't follow her and he knew they were only after him. He ran over to the balcony and leapt down to the ground, almost losing his footing as he landed and rushed away from the house. The Warlords followed right him and ran toward him.  
  
"Quake with Fear!"  
  
"Snake Fang Strike!"  
  
Cye didn't even have a chance to fire his sure-kill as he was hit with both attacks and sent flying backwards where he laid, unmoving, his armor disappearing.  
  
"That was way too easy," Sekhmet said as they approached him.  
  
Anubis slung Cye over his shoulder and was about to teleport back to the Nether Realm when White Blaze tackled him from behind, making him drop Cye on the ground. Then White Blaze stood over Cye's prone form daring the two Warlords to try something.  
  
"We'll come back for him," Sekhmet said to Anubis and they disappeared.  
  
Mia rushed out of the house and over to him. She was able to get Cye on White Blaze's back and they made their way back into the house and upstairs to his room where she was able to get him onto the bed.  
  
She knew he was hurt worse than before and she couldn't do anything for him without Sage there. He was starting to sweat and knew Sekhmet's poison was starting to work. She felt his forehead and found he was burning up. She went to the bathroom and put water in a bowl and grabbed a washcloth and returned. She sat down next to the bed and placed the wet cloth on his forehead.  
  
At the castle, Talpa was furious when Anubis and Sekhmet returned empty handed.  
  
"How dare you fail me," he shouted. "Get out of my sight."  
  
They left and Talpa strolled over to his chair and once again picked the whip. Buka and Ryo both winced at the sight of it, knowing what was coming. Not wanting to see Ryo suffer again, she kept her eyes closed as Ryo's scream filled the room and then silence.  
  
--To be continued-- 


	10. Chapter 10

'm Chapter 10  
  
Sage and the others found each other not far from the throne room. Yami was happy to see that they had found Joey, Ryou and Rowen, but it still left them to find Ryo and Buka.  
  
"Where's Buka?" Ryou asked concern in his voice.  
  
"Marik has her," Yami said, anger in his voice. "She won a duel and he took her hostage."  
  
"Don't worry, we'll get her back," Sage said to him. "You can bet on that."  
  
In the throne room, Talpa called Dais and Cale back into the throne room and whispered something to them and they left. Not soon after they left, Marik showed up and was talking to Talpa. Buka glanced over at Ryo, who was still unconscious. The bleeding had just about stopped.  
  
Then she turned her attention to Marik and Talpa who had stopped talking and Marik was walking towards her.  
  
"It's time for my revenge on Yami and I'll start by taking it out on you," Marik said.  
  
She knew that whatever he had planned wasn't going to be good.  
  
At the house, Mia had fallen asleep in the chair beside Cye's bed. Cye had finally fallen into a troubled, but deep sleep. His fever hadn't gotten any worse and that was a good sign. She had been getting him to drink water in order to get the venom out of his body and it seemed to be working.  
  
A noise from the first floor woke her up and she went to investigate, thinking it might just be White Blaze coming in from patrolling around the house. Downstairs, Cale and Dais entered the house. They had knocked White Blaze out when he tried to stop them.  
  
"That tiger wasn't too hard to deal with," Cale said as they walked toward the stairs.  
  
Mia backed away from the railing when she recognized their voices and hurried back to Cye's room. She knew he shouldn't be moved, but she had to get him and herself to safety.  
  
"Cye? Wake up," she said, shaking his shoulder, causing him to stir. "We need to get to safety. Cale and Dais are coming upstairs."  
  
Even though weak, Cye managed to get to his feet and with Mia's help, went through the bathroom and into Ryo's room.  
  
"Where's White Blaze?" Cye asked.  
  
"I don't know," she said. "They might have knocked him out."  
  
Back at the castle, Buka found herself chained just like Ryo was. Marik smirked as he brought the whip back and let it loose, striking her right across the back. Now she knew what Ryo went through. She felt as the back of her shirt was ripped. Marik only stopped when she slumped against the chains and then handed the whip back to Talpa.  
  
"Take them both down to the dungeons," Talpa told Sekhmet and Anubis.  
  
They unchained the two and made their way down to the dungeons and chained them in one of the cells. At Mia's, Dais and Cale burst into Cye and Kento's room and looked around not seeing them.  
  
"Now, where did they go?" Dais wondered. "Torrent should be too weak to even move."  
  
"Split up and look in every room in the house," Cale said. "We'll start downstairs and work our way up."  
  
They left the room but stayed outside the door, because they could sense that Cye and Mia were in the next room. Mia, thinking it was safe, helped Cye out the door of Ryo's room, only to be grabbed by Cale and Dais and disappeared with them, heading back to the castle.  
  
In the dungeons, Buka started to come around to find herself in a damp cell, with her hands tied behind her back. After her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw Ryo sitting across from her, also chained to the wall.  
  
--To be continued-- 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
Talpa glanced up as Cale and Dais appeared in the throne room with Cye and Mia. Cye was half-conscious, since he was still weak.  
  
"Good job you two," he said to them, walking over. "Take them to the dungeon and put them in the cell with their friends."  
  
Just as they were getting ready to disappear, the others came running into the throne room.  
  
"Go," Talpa told his Warlords.  
  
Before they knew it, they disappeared with Cye and Mia. At the dungeons, Buka looked up as Dais and Cale appeared with them and chained them to the wall as well.  
  
"Are you okay, Mia?" Buka asked.  
  
"I'm okay," Mia answered. "How are you and Ryo doing?"  
  
"Ryo is still unconscious from his last beating from Talpa and I'm okay," Buka said. "Marik had some fun with the whip but the bleeding has stopped. I don't think the cuts were all that deep. He was taking his anger for Yami out on me. How's Cye?"  
  
Mia nodded and glanced over where they had Cye and Ryo. Cye was now completely unconscious. "After you guys left the second time, Sekhmet and Anubis showed up at the house to bring him here. He armored up and led the Warlords out of the house. He was hit by both of their attacks before he could unleash his own."  
  
In the throne room, Sage and the others were facing off against Talpa and the Warlords.  
  
"Go find the others," Sakura whispered to Sage. "We'll keep them busy."  
  
Sage, Kento and Rowen nodded and ran out of the room heading for the dungeons, since that's where they're probably keeping them. Yami, Tristan, Serenity, Joey and Ryou went with them. Talpa knew exactly where they were going and called Sekhmet and Marik over to him.  
  
"Go to the dungeon and bring that girl, not Mia, but the other, Ryo and Cye here. Leave Mia," he told the two.  
  
They nodded and disappeared, heading for the dungeons. Mia and the others looked up as Sekhmet and Marik appeared in the cell. They unchained all of them except for her and then disappeared with them. Meanwhile, Sage and the others had found their way to the dungeon and started looking in every single one of them until they found Mia in the last one, but she was the only one in their. They knocked the door down and barged in. Kento freed Mia and she stood up.  
  
"How did they get you?" Rowen asked.  
  
"Dais and Cale captured us," Mia said. "Cye needs urgent attention. After you guys left the last time, Sekhmet and Anubis showed up to bring him here and he got hit by both of their sure-kills before he could use his."  
  
They left heading for the throne room. Meanwhile, Sekhmet and Marik came in with Buka, Ryo and Cye. They chained them all to the wall. Ryo was chained closer to Talpa's throne chair. Soon, the others came rushing into the throne room. The Mystic Warriors were taking care of the Warlords while the others came in to the throne room to take care of Talpa and free their friends. Yami glanced over to see Buka chained to the wall alongside Cye and was furious. They could see that Cye was unconscious and Ryo was barely conscious.  
  
"Let them all go Talpa," Sage ordered.  
  
Talpa started over to them when the Mystic Warriors came running into the throne room after beating the Warlords. While they faced off against Talpa, Yami and the others headed over to try and free Buka and Cye from where they were chained. When they couldn't free them, they stayed there as they watched the others battling Talpa. Everyone was thrown back except for Sakura.  
  
"Night Screen Strike."  
  
Talpa, who was standing right in front of Ryo, disappeared and Ryo was hit full force by the attack. The chains disintegrated and Ryo fell to the ground. Sakura just about dropped her weapon when that happened and would have rushed over to him, if Talpa didn't appear behind her and grabbed her. Sage and Kento struggled to their feet and rushed over to help her. Sakura managed to escape from Talpa's grasp and joined them. The others joined them soon after. Talpa knew a way to get back at them but needed time to get his plan together.  
  
"I'll be back," Talpa said and disappeared.  
  
While Sakura and the others freed Buka and Cye, Sage and Kento went over to where Ryo laid. Sage put his hands on Ryo and his hands glowed and Ryo started to come around.  
  
"Man, what happened?" Ryo asked as they helped him to his feet.  
  
Before they could answer him, Kiseki called for them. "Sage, we need you over here."  
  
They hurried over to where they had Cye lying on the ground. Sage healed him and Cye's eyes opened and he looked around. They got out of the castle and headed back to Mia's.  
  
--Two days later--  
  
Sakura, still feeling bad about what she had done to Ryo, was sitting down at the docks when she heard footsteps behind her. She looked up as Ryo sat down beside her.  
  
"Are you okay, Sakura?" he asked when she turned to him.  
  
"Yeah," Sakura said. "I still feel guilty over hurting you like I did at the castle."  
  
"It wasn't your fault," Ryo said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "You didn't know that Talpa was standing right in front of me."  
  
She smiled and they headed back to the house for dinner. 


End file.
